News

Uttar Pradesh, September 21: The Supreme Court on Tuesday cleared the decks for the holding of panchayat elections in Uttar Pradesh with seat reservation for marginalised sections based on the 2001 census.

The apex court also issued notice to Pradeshiya Jan Jati Vikas Manch on the petition by the Uttar Pradesh government challenging the Allahabad High Court’s Sep 16 order imposing restrictions on the polls.

The panchayat elections will be held Sep 23-Oct 30.

Islamabad, September 21: Pakistan today called on India to “review the practice” of describing Jammu and Kashmir as its “integral part” even as Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani flayed the alleged human rights violations in the Valley.

“Indians should quit the policy of finding a solution to the Kashmir issue under their constitution and they should review the practice of calling (Jammu and) Kashmir an integral part of India,” Foreign Office spokesman Abdul Basit told the media.

Patna, September 21: Intensifying his attack on Lalu Prasad, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today asserted that the RJD chief stood no chance in the coming Assembly elections and he would “disappear completely” after the polls. “Lalu ji to abhi se gayab dikh rahe hain aur chunav ke baad pura gayab ho jayenge (Lalu is rarely seen these days, and after elections, he will disappear completely),” Kumar told reporters here.

New Delhi, September 21: A Pakistani spy, who worked as a cab driver during his one-year stay in the country, has been arrested from south Delhi, police said Tuesday.

Sajjad Haider, 43, who hails from Lahore in Pakistan, was arrested by the anti-terror unit of Delhi Police, Special Cell, Sep 14 from a house in Samalkha Village in southwest Delhi, police said.

He was living in the capital under an assumed name of Mohammed Pervez. During his stay, the accused worked as a driver on cabs attached to call centres in Gurgaon and Delhi, a police official sai.

New Delhi, September 21: Strict action will be taken against the defaulters in the collapse of an under-construction foot overbridge near the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, the main venue of the Commonwealth Games, injuring 27 labourers, Delhi Public Works Department Minister Raj Kumar Chauhan said Tuesday.

The Delhi government has called a high level meeting to fix responsibility for the collapse and decide the future course of action.

Hyderabad, September 21: A senior IPS officer of Andhra Pradesh cadre, Sreeram Tiwari, has been dismissed from service on grounds of alleged “misuse of office”.

“I am preparing to file the petition before the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT). The UPSC’s move is a gross injustice done to me. The action was initiated against me without any merit in the case,” Tiwari told PTI.

Tiwari, who is a 1982 batch IPS officer of Andhra Pradesh cadre, was IGP (Organisation) in the state DGP office here.

Bangalore, September 21: The Karnataka High Court today directed the CID — probing criminal charges, including rape, against self-styled godman Nityananda — to file an affidavit on September 23 on the progress made in the case.

When the petition filed by Nityananda praying for quashing of the two FIRs came up before Justice Arali Nagaraj, the CID which was asked to file an affidavit on September 13, sought two days time to do so.

The court agreed to grant the time and adjourned the hearing to September 23.

New Delhi, September 21: Recognising India’s growing clout in the world, an official US report on global governance has declared the country the third most powerful nation after the United States and China.

The new global power lineup for 2010 compiling the world’s most powerful countries/regions recognised India as the third most powerful country behind the US and China, and predicted that its clout as well as that of China and Brazil would further rise by 2025.

Lucknow, September 21: Nine people died today in rain- related incidents in Uttar Pradesh where flood situation aggravated due to rise in the level of major rivers in several districts, affecting road and railway traffic. Three died in Ramabai Nagar, two deaths each were reported from Badaun and Shahjahanpur, while one each from Bareilly and Pilibhit, officials said.

Bangalore, September 21: Ahead of cabinet reshuffle and expansion of the 32-month-old BJP Ministry tomorrow, Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa sacked three ministers, including Gulihatti D Shekar, who had threatened to commit suicide if axed. The ministers who have been dropped are Shivana Gouda Naik (Adult Education) and Aravinda Limbaval (Higher Education) besides Shekar (Sports).

Srinagar, September 21: A day after an all party delegation reached out to separatists in Kashmir, moderate faction of the Hurriyat Conference on Tuesday accused the Centre of not making a serious effort to address the Kashmir issue saying talks were not possible in a coercive atmosphere.